Hair curler



May'6, 1941. w. H. SCHMITT HAIR. CURLER Filed May 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE HAIR GURLER William H. Schmitt, St. Paul, Minn.

Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,193

Claims. 132-41) This invention is for a hair curler of the type used on bobbed hair, or on hair where it is desired to make a series of deep curls in the same. The curler is of a clamp-like form having an overlying looped spring wire which is adapted to be locked in positionto extend longitudinally and centrally of the curler clamp so as to be locked when the curler is closed over a coil of hair wound about the body of the curler.

A primary feature of my invention resides in the simple effective means of locking the wire loop over the free ends of the clamp of the curler and with the body of the wire loop extending centrally and longitudinally of the curler clamp.

A further feature resides in the simple construction of my curler wherein the ends of the wire loop may be attached to the finger end of the clamp of the curler without the use of rivets in one form, and with rivets in another form thereof.

The locking means for the wire loop may consist of a depression or recess in either side of the arms which form the clamp of the curler adjacent the pivot end thereof, or which recess may be made by projecting portions which form humps so that the wire loop may be locked between said humps to hold it in closed position and extending longitudinally and centrally of the body of the curler. '1 i It is also a feature to provide a hair curler wherein the wire loop may be provided with free ends and the inner end of the loop adjacent the pivot portion of the clamp may be formed to extend between the finger engageable ends of the clamping members of the curler so as to provide a spring for holding the members of the curler in closed position under spring tension and doing away with the necessity of having a separate spring extending between the arms of the curler, and thereby providing a more simple and less expensive construction of hair curler.

Other features which will be of importance and outstanding in character will be later described and set forth.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating my invention:

Figure 1 is a top view of my curler shown in closed position and illustrating the wire loop locked to extend longitudinally of and centrally disposed along and over the body of the free ends of the curler clamp.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates another form of my curler, showing the wire loop held by parallelly or oppositely disposed humps on either side of the wire loop, and wherein the wire loop may be extended in a straight line between said humps.

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section on the line l'l of Figure 5'.

Figure 8 is a detail of a different form of wire loop wherein the ends of the wire loop are long enough to extend into the finger ends of the curler clamp without necessity of turning over the ends to lock the wire clamp in place, the spring tension of the wire holding the ends in holes to anchor the wire in place.

Figure 9 illustrates another form of my curler.

Figure 10 is a detail section on the line Hl-lfl of Figure 9.

Figure 11 illustrates still another form of my curler wherein the free ends of the wire loop extend to the free ends of the clamp of the curler and the inner end of the wire loop is curved to form a spring loop which acts to provide the spring for holding the clamping members of the'curler under spring tension in closed position.

Figure 12 is a Figure 11.

My curler is illustrated in the forms A, B, C, D and E.

These curlers are all of the same generic nature and each employs a locking means having the same function and being for the same purpose, namely, to hold the wire loop extending or bowing over the body of the clamp so as to act as a locking means to hold the coiled hair on the curler and prevent the curler from unwinding after the lock of hair has been clamped in and wound around the body of the curler.

In the curler A, the clamp portion is made of the cylindrical member ID and the clamping jaw l l, the body of which may be perforated as illustrated if it is desired, and which are pivotally held together by the rivet l2. The members l0 and II are held in closed position by the spring I3 which extends between the same at the finger gripping ends 14 and I5 of the members [0 and II, respectively. When it is desired to open the clamp of the curler A, the finger ends I4 and I5 are engaged and pressed toward each other, thus causing the free ends of the members It] and. II to open so that the hair may be clamped section on the line l2-l2 of ing jaw member ll.

onto the body of the member I under the clamp- The curler A is provided with a wire loop It which is adapted to form a closure means extending over the coil of hair wound around the body of the curler and to form means to keep the curler from unwinding after the curler has been clamped on and has a look of hair wound around the same. Thus it is important that this loop be held in a locked or set position with the sides of the loop extending longitudinally over the body of the clamp of the curler and centrally from end to end of the curler. To accomplish a means for locking the loop in place, I provide recesses ll in each of the finger ends l4 and I5 of the curler A, and the wire loop I6 is bent inwardly at 8 to form inwardly extending humps so that these humps 58 will engage in the recesses H to hold the loop #5 in locked position extending longitudinally and centrally of the body of the clamping portions of the curler A. I

With this locking means for the wire loop'lfi, the curler A may be' engaged to a lock of hair and may be locked at any point that is desired in the operation of coiling a lock of hair on the same. Thus if a lady is wearing a long boband only wishes to curl the extreme ends ofthe 'hair, it is only necessary to wind a certain portion of the hair that is desired. to. be curled around the body of the curler and then swing the loop over the coil of hair and the curler will remain at that point; whereas, if it is desired to make a tight curl up close'to the head, th curler is wound up closer'to the scalp before the loop I5 is swung over into locking position.

In using the curlers A, B, C, D and E, the operation is the same. Each of these curlers is provided with the same locking means for the loop, and in attaching the hair to the curler, the wire loop is pressed aside out of locking position and swung to extend from the finger engaging ends I l and I5 and then the curler clamp may be opened bypressing the ends I 4 and I5 together and the hair wound around the curler body. Thereafter, the locking loop I6 is swung back into locking position, and it is apparent that the same is bowed outwardly so as to receive the coil of hair under the same when this loop is in locked position.

In the curler B as shown in Figures 5, 6 and '7, the wire loop I6 is virtually identical to that shown for the curler A, excepting ther are no humps l8 in the same, the wire I6 being straight along this portion I 9 thereof and to lock the wire loop IE I provide humps 20 which project from the sides of the finger piece portions M and I5. These humps hold the wire loop I6 extending in longitudinal locked position over the body of the curler B, as illustrated in the drawings.

In the construction of the curler C illustrated in the detail in Figure 8, the wire loop I6 and the body of the curler C is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 for the curler A, excepting instead of looking the inner ends of the wire loop'by upsetting or turning them inwardly the ends 2! thereof are freely disposed through holes in the finger ends M and it. The wire loop I6" provides a sufiicient spring tension tending to press the ends 2! toward each other and thus hold the wir loop in operative position to the curler C without causing the riveting-over of the ends r I The hair curler'D is also of a similar constructionto'the curler "A, the only difference therein being the actual riveting of the ends of the loop 16 by rivets 22 to hold the loop l6 to the finger engaging ends I4 and I5 of the curler D.

In the curler E, the body portion l0 and the clamping portion l I" are the same as those illustrated for the curler A. These portions and the recesses H in which the humps l8 of the wire loop engage, hold the wire loop "3"" in locked position extending over the body of the curler E. However, in this construction of the curler E, I form the wire loop I6" difierent than in the other constructions. In this construction the free ends 23 of the wire loop l6"" extend at the free ends of the body portions l0 and II. The other end of the wire loop i6" extends through the holes in the finger end portions l4" and I5" and is formed with an inner spring loop 24. This spring loop 24 takes the place of the spring l3 and thus I provide a construction of curler E of a more economical nature, doing away with thespring I3 and using the wire loop I6""' to act as a spring to hold the members ID and II together, and also to provide the spring loop adapted to be looked over the body of the curler when the humps I8" engage in the recesses, I I to hold the curler locked in the position desired when the hair is coiled about the same.

Therefore it is apparent that all of the curlers illustrated, A, 'B, C, D, and E, have the same scope and function of operation, being generic in form and construction so that the wire loop is locked in position to hold the curler at any set place on the hair when the hair is coiled about the same. This locking feature with the hump in the wire, or the hump on the body portions of the clamp of the curler, is of importance in providing a simple, inexpensive construction of curler adapted to be quickly attached or disengaged from the hair. Ladies desire a curler of this character owing to its simple construction and the effectiveness with which the spring wire loop locks itself in place extending longitudinally and centrally over the body of the clamp of the curler.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have illustrated my curler to show the best embodiments thereof, and th invention is set forth within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler having a pair of clamping members between which the ends of a lock of hair can be engaged and the hair wound about the body thereof, finger grip portions forming a part of both said clamping members at their rear ends, pivot means connecting said clamping members adjacent said finger grip portions, and a swingable wire loop attached to said finger grip portions of said curler having lump means engaging said members between their point of attachment and said pivot means for locking said loop extending longitudinally and centrally over the clamping ends of said curler.

2.'A hair curler including pivotally connected clamping means for engaging the ends of a lock 3. A hair curler comprising a pivotally connected clamping means for engaging the ends of a lock of hair and about which the hair may be wound, a wire loop extending over said clamping means when in locked position, and swingable away from said clamping means when in open position, the ends of said Wire loop being freely disposed and pivotally anchored in said clamping means, and hump and recess means between said loop ends and said pivotal connection of said clamping means adapted to releasably lock said wire loop to extend longitudinally and centrally of the body of said clamping means of said curler when said wire loop is in locked position.

4. A hair curler comprising a pair of members pivotally secured together with short finger ends extending from one side of said pivoting point, and long clamping engaging ends capable of clamping hair therebetween extending from the other end thereof about which hair may be wound, a Wire loop pivotally attached at one end to said short finger ends and adapted to extend over said long clamping ends when in closing position, said loop contacting said clamping ends near the ends thereof and adjacent the pivoting point to hold said clamping ends together, and

hump and recess means for releasably locking said wire loop in a manner to hold the same extending longitudinally and centrally over the body of said clamping means to hold said curler in any set curled position to make loose or tight curls.

5. A hair curler comprising a pair of clamping members pivotally secured together, finger engaging ends projecting from the pivot point of said clamping members, a single wire loop extending between said finger engaging ends to provide spring means for holding the free ends of said clamping members urged under spring tension toward each other, said loop extending through said finger engaging ends to pivotally engage therewith, and having elongated loop ends, and hump means formed in said ends of said wire loop to releasably lock said wire loop to extend longitudinally and centrally over and along the free ends of said clamping members of said curler, said wire loop being swingable out of locking position on its pivot point whereupon said clamping means may be opened to receive the ends of a lock of hair.

WILLIAM H. SCHMITT. 

